+noun1 a series of performances of music, plays, films/movies, etc., usually organized in the same place once a year; a series of public events connected with a particular activity or idea: the Edinburgh festival + the Cannes film festival + a beer festival + a rock festival (= where bands perform, often outdoors and over a period of several days)2 a day or period of the year when people stop working to celebrate a special event, often a religious one: Christmas and Easter are the main Christian festivals.See also-HARVEST FESTIVAL